Human
by blueturtlepower4ever
Summary: Well, Donnie did it this time. The chemicals in his lab exploded, and caused Leo to become a human! So now he has to deal with a whole new body, going to school, fighting the bad guys, and homework. And the new girl who isn't so new is going to only make life harder for our leader in blue.
1. Chapter 1 - Leonardo

**Okay, so this was actually the first fanfic I ever started writing. I haven't finished it yet, but I thought I would publish the first chapter to see if there's any interest. Takes place right after the Mutation Situation. Enjoy.**

Chapter 1- Leonardo

"Leo. Leo. Leo! Wake up!" A voice, a familiar one, cuts through the fog in my brain. I groan, not wanting to come to my senses, because I know I'll feel pain. But I hear the voice again, urgent and filled with concern, and I struggle to the surface and open my eyes.

I see my brothers standing over me, a cocktail of emotions on their faces. Concern, relief, and... wariness?

"What... happened?" I ask, hating that my voice is so weak. Every part of my body aches, and I feel... off. Different.

Donnie lets out a sigh of relief. "There was an explosion in my lab. You were the only one nearby, so the rest of us are fine, but..." he trails off, looking worried and afraid. Of me?

"But... what?" I wonder, not sure if I want Donnie to finish. I look at Raph and see concern and only a flicker of his usual rage. I turn to Mikey and see worry, curiosity, and... excitement?

"But what?" I ask again with more force.

Donnie takes a deep breath. "The explosion was caused by some chemicals that spilled into my retro-mutagen. Some of it...got...on you."

"What?" What does Donnie mean, 'Some of it got on me'? I can't understand his words. It's as if he's speaking another language.

"The retro-mutegen." Donnie repeats nervously. "It sort of went everywhere. By the time we reached you..."

His words finally penetrate my daze.

"What...What...What am I?" I ask. I'm obviously not a turtle, like, a real one. So what am I?

Mikey smiles hesitantly, they all do, and Raph says, "Leo, you're... you're..."

"HUMAN" my brothers chorus.

**Sorry it's so short, but I'm going to start a new chapter everytime it switches POV's, or when i feel like it's a good cutoff point. So review, tell me what you think, what I van do better (especially what I can do better) and I'll do what I can. I'm going to be rewriting what I have so far, because I think I can do better, so your input will be noted, appreciated, and maybe even used if I like it! **

**Happy reading/writing, fellow dorks!**

**-Katana**


	2. Chapter 2 - Leonardo

**Hi! Thank you so much to the four people who reviewed yesterday. I am so bored this morning, so I thought I'd update before school. And I'm going to do something I've never done before. Acknowledge reviews! If you didn't review, then just skip to the regular print. Enjoy!**

**Agafa Shelly: Thank you so much!**

**AmethystFlare3: Thanks! Yeah, I know they're short, but I switch POV's a LOT and this was my first story. Thank you, and here you go.**

**Rvbfan424: THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU! Thank you for reading my stories and for your wonderful reviews.**

**Denissegayton: Thank you, and that hope will be . . . addressed in this chapter. Just remember, chemicals can't create clothing, but I won't let Leo run around like that.**

**Enjoy!**

Chapter 2 - Leonardo

I physically recoil in shock, digging deeper into my bed. Human . . . Human . . . Human . . . their voices chant over and over in my head. I slowly drag my hand up to my face. Yesterday it was green and I had only 3 fingers. But now my skin is flesh-tone, and I have 5 fingers and nails on each one, kind of like April's, but wider. I look down my arm and see my dojo wraps hanging loosely. My arm is still muscular, but nowhere near as bulky.

"Can...Can I see a mirror?" My voice quivers. My face. I need to see my face. Raph reaches for something out of sight. They had been anticipating this question. He hands me a small brown mirror. I close my eyes as I take it. I take a few medatative breaths, preparing myself.

I open my eyes. A human boy with pale skin and my blue eyes stares back at me. He, I, have shoulder-length black hair and my mask hangs loosely around my neck. My face feels bare. Vulnerable.

"I'll go get Sensi." Mikey suddenly jumps up and runs out of the room. He feels the tension in the air and leaves to escape it.

I stare at the unfamiliar face that is now mine. I run a hand all over it. I have a real nose now, and cheekbones, and ears and a real chin. I look like a human.

I lay my hand down on my chest, still weak, and feel fabric.

"Guys?"

"Yeah?" Raph says.

"What am I wearing?"

"One of Sensi's robes. It's the only piece of clothing we could find that would fit you." Donnie answers awkwardly. The implication of his words hit me, and I feel my face get hot. I fall silent again.

Mikey returns with Sensi a few seconds later. Master Splinter sits at the foot of my bed and takes my newly human hand. He stares at me for a moment, and I can almost see his thoughts running through his mind. _This is my son. This is my son Leonardo._

"How are you feeling, my son?"

"Like I got hit by a train." I joke and try to smile, but it turns into a grimace and to my embarrassment, I feel a hot tear roll down my cheek. I curse silently. Why should I be crying? I'm human now. I'm no longer a freak. But the tears continue to flow.

Master Splinter pats my shoulder and stands up, ordering my brothers to leave. He tells me to get some rest, and closes the door behind. Alone with my confused, incomplete thoughts chasing each other round and round, I soon nod off, the feel of my tears sliding down still with me.

**Next time is in Donnie's POV!**

**Hope you enjoyed this short little thing, review, give me your thoughts, critisisms, and ideas, and I'll do my best! If you have something you want Leo to go through, tell me! If I'm cool with it, I'll do my best to work it in!**

**Bye! -Katana**


	3. Chapter 3 - Donatello

**Chapter 3, in Donatello's POV, just like I promised. Thank yyou to the five people who reviewed since my last update. Here are my responses. If you are not one of the five, then skip the build and enjoy!**

**AmethystFlare3: Thank you! And yeah, poor Leo, so awkward. And I think his heart realizes the freak thing, just not his head yet, so that's why he was crying.**

**LeoIsDaBest: First off, rocking username! Second, um, yeah, I know, but what are the odds they would just happen to have human clothing that would fit Leo perfectly? Don't worry; it's not forever, and thank you!**

**stephaniec1025: Thank you!**

**JellyBug: *blushes* Aw, you're so sweet! Thank you to the infinite power! And yeah, sorry about the shortness, but I switch POV's a lot, and this was my first fic. But I'll try to make them longer.**

**thebronzedog: Ah! Thank you thank you thank you! You're so awesome yourself! Can you update your story, too? Please?**

Chapter 3 - Donatello

Master Splinter orders us out of Leo's room, and I hear him tell Leo to get some rest. Then he turns to me. "Donatello, Leonardo cannot wear my old robe forever. You need to get him some real clothes."

"But Sensei, how can we get clothes? Leo might be human now but the rest of-" I break off, seeing where he is going. "Oh. April."

Sensei nods. "You must ask her for help."

"But, Sensei-"

"No buts. You must at least try."

He's right. "Hia, Sensei. I'll go alone."

He nods again. "Perhaps that is best."

I quickly gather up all the human money we have, and make for the surface. I stop for a second as I breathe in the fresh air, something rare and precious to me. A bitter thought crosses my mind. Leo will be able to go up here in the daytime, meet humans. I crush that thought. Leo didn't ask for this.

Reluctantly, I head for one of the last places on Earth I am welcome.

* * *

I knock for the third time on the apartment window. "April, please." My desperation leeks into my voice as I cry out. "Please come out. This is really important. I promise that I'll go away if you just talk to me." I hear an exasperated sigh.

"Fine. What do you want, Donatello?" She flings the window open and crosses her arms. The look on her face says this better be good. Man, even when she's mad she's beautiful.

"I need you to buy something and I have the money right here. I just can't buy it myself." I show her our measly $75.

She glares at it and me. "Not that I'm saying yes, but what do you need?" My mood goes up an notch. She's not slamming the window in my face, so that's a good sign.

"Clothes. For a 15 year old boy. As many as you can get."

Her look turns to confusion. "Why on Earth do you need human clothes?"

"It's not for me, it's for Leo. There was an explosion, some chemicals were mixed with one of my retro-mutegen expieriments and -"

"Wait,"she interupts me. "Your what expiriments?"

"I was looking for a cure, an antidote for the mutagan. Leo was caught in the blast and got splattered. April. Leo's been turned into a human."

She's stunned, I can tell that much. She also looks hopeful. "You-You found a cure?" She gasps, not daring to believe it.

"Maybe. I hope so. It will take some time to figure out what chemicals were spilled, and I'll have to modify it so it won't explode, and of course I'll have to do exstensive testing to be sure."

She smiles anyway. "Oh, thank you Donnie."

As much as it kills me to say it, I have to. "Don't thank me yet. Wait until I'm 100% positive and have a cure in my hands."

She nods. "Of course. Shouldn't get my hopes up." She changes the subject. "So Leo needs clothes? Oh." Her face goes red. I feel mine heat up too.

"Yeah, everything you can get. Shirts, pants, underwear, shoes, everything. Is this enough?" I hand her the money and a sheet of paper with my estimation of the sizes Leo will need. "It's all we have."

She counts the bills and nods. "Yeah, if I buy everything at a thrift shop I should be able to get a lot. How about I text you, then bring the stuff over?" She suggests tentivly.

My heart soars. I can't help it, I crack a huge grin. "Perfect! Thank you so much." April smiles back. "No problem." She waves goodbye, then closes the window. I run back to the lair, even though I feel like I could fly.

**Um, yeah. Longer than the others, but short. The next ones even shorter, but I promise it will be followed by a longer one. So review, tell me any ideas you have on what ypu would like Leo to go through and I'll try to work it, and REVIEW! Please! Brain . . . needs . . . reviews!**

**Bye! -Katana**


	4. Chapter 4 - Raphael

**Yeah, yeah, this is super short. But I'm posting two today so :p. Blah blah blah STORY TIME!**

Chapter 4 - Raphael

When Donnie gets back to the lair, he's grinning like an idiot, and I get a feeling it went well. And sure enough, it did. Good. I'll never say it aloud, but I didn't realize how much I enjoyed April's presence in the Lair until she left. It'll be nice to see her again. But all I do is grunt and tell Donnie I told you so.

I walk back to Leo's room to check up on him. I know what he looks like now, but I still jump a little at the sight of him. I fell a surge of emotion when I see the stain of tears on his cheek. Pity, sympathy? I don't know what it's called; Donnie's the one good with words and emotions. That feeling is soon overridden by anger. Leo doesn't need pity, he's a human now. He doesn't have to hide his face anymore, or fear for discovery and dissection. I push my anger down. Leo didn't ask to be human, and it's going to be tough for him the next few weeks, getting used to all his new gear.

It had to have occurred to him like it had to me, or will soon, that his strength, size, center of balance, his everything has changed. It's going to make ninjutsu difficult, as he'll have to adjust to everything, and that'll be hard on him. Leo, as he once put it, eats, sleeps and breathes ninjutsu. To be suddenly be back at practically square one isn't going to thrill him. A thought hits me. If Leo can't do ninjutsu, how can he be our leader?

_No Raph, don't think like that. Leo will be back, good as ever soon. He's still_ _leader._ But as much as I try to suppress those thoughts as I go back to my other brothers, they linger like a ghost in the very back of my mind.

**Um, I'd appreciate it if you review both chapters, as they are two different updates, but I guess you don't have to. But please?**


	5. Chapter 5 - Leonardo

**Two chapters, just like I promised. Um, nothing to really say so, read on!**

Chapter 5 - Leonardo

I wake to my head throbbing and I reach to place my hand on my head. I feel... hair?! What the heck?! Then the events of last night come rushing back, along with a memory of blinding light and pain, and green. Lots of green.

I wait until the throbbing goes down a bit and try to sit up. It takes a couple of tries, but I eventually make it. For a while, I just sit there, breathing in and out, staring at my hands and bare feet, trying to get used to the fact that they're mine. I feel something brush against my chest and look down. My mask still hangs from my neck. I lift it over my head and untie it, fumbling endlessly, until it's undone. I lift it up to my face, and am surprised to find that I can still see through both eyeholes. I pull the two ends together and try to tie them. It's so difficult with 5 fingers. How do humans do it? It must take me ten minutes but I eventually get it. The familiar feeling of the cloth on my skin is comforting. I see the mirror I used last night on my bedside table, reach for it and take another look at my face. The more I stare at it, the more I grow to like the face in the mirror. My face actually looks kind of handsome, to me at least. _What would Karai think?_ A small voice in the back of my head asks. I try to silence the voice, but it persists in the back of my mind.  
_Come on, snap out of it_. I tell myself harshly. _Karai probably, no, definitely hates you now and she is the daughter of your mortal enemy_. I shut down that train of thought and listen carefully. I can hear my brothers voice's floating from the main room. I swing my legs over onto the floor and stand slowly to my feet. Brrr... it's cold in here, and the floor is freezing. I take my dojo wraps off my legs and wrap them completely around my feet. Makeshift socks. I grab my covers and drape them over myself. On shaky legs I slowly make my way the living room.

I find Donnie reading one of his science books and Raph feeding Spike. Mikey's playing around with some toy cars, but when he sees me walk in he leaps to his feet and gives me a bear hug, nearly knocking me over. "Leo!" He yells. I smile a little, but say,"Please let me go. You're kinda choking me."

He backs off smiling sheepishly. "Sorry." He turns and heads into the kitchen.

Donnie looks at me, concerned by my covers. "Are you feeling all right Leo? I mean, are you feeling sick or something?" He adds guiltily.

I smile to let him know I don't blame him for what happened. "I'm fine, just a little cold. Master Splinter's robe isn't the warmest thing in the world." It's true. The collar exposes most of my upper chest and hangs on me, too loose to provide much insolation.

Donnie smiles broadly. "You won't have to worry about that for too much longer." He launches into the story of what happened with April.

"Nice job Donnie." I congratulate him. He gives another toothy grin. My legs start to tremble; I've been standing for a while. Raph notices and guides me towards a seat. I take it and smile gratefully.

Mikey walks back in with a bowl. "Here Leo, have some soup."

Having eaten Mikey's cooking in the past, I'm a bit wary. He notices and smiles. "Don't worry, bro. It's chicken noodle, straight from the can." The smell reaches my nose and I take a deep breath. It smells soooooo good! I eagerly take the bowl and fumble for the spoon. I take a sip and enjoy the taste and warmth of the soup on my tounge. "Mmmm, thanks Mikey."

I take my time, savoring every last drop. I didn't realize how hungry I was until I actually started eating. Genetic mutation takes a lot out of you.

**Review? Let me know you care about a silly little story a turtle-struck girl is writing.**

**Again, if there's anything you want to see Leo go through, like somethibg you have to do everyday, let me know! Unless it's inappropriate or I just don't approve, I'll work it in.**

**Bye! -Katana**


	6. Chapter 6 - Michelangelo

**Quick little chapter in Mikey's POV. He may not be the smartest, but he can always put a smile on his brothers faces.**

**Too many reviews to personally thank! Thank you for making me say that:)!**

**Enjoy!**

Chapter 6 - Michelangelo  
I watch Leo devour the soup I gave him. What now? I mean what can we do? Leo doesn't look strong enough to practice his ninjutsu yet. But he's obviously not tired enough to go back to sleep and wants something to do. And as his youngest little brother, it's my job to keep him distracted and happy. Then I remember something I've been saving for Mutation Day. But now is a good time too. I rush back to my room and look under my bed. I push junk to the left and right and reach towards the very back. I pull out the wrapped box with the bow and grin.

* * *

"Hey Leo! Guess what I got!" Leo looks up at me as I come bouncing into the room. "Here. It's for you!"

He looks surprised. "Mikey, what's this?"

I laugh at his cluelessness. "It's a present, duh!" I roll my eyes. Oddly, he rolls his eyes too, and so do my brothers.

"I mean, why are you giving me a present?"

"I was saving it for Mutation Day, but I figured you needed it today more."

He smiles, then concentrates on the task of tearing away the wrapping paper. He opens the flaps of the box. When he sees what's in the box, his eyes light up and a grin blossoms on his human face. "Hey!" He exclaims.

"What'd he get you?" Donnie and Raph ask at almost the exact same time.

Leo reaches in the box and pulls out three books. "He got me the next three books in the Ranger's Apprentice series!" See, Ranger's Apprentice is this book series that Leo really likes about an orphan who becomes this kind of person called a Ranger, and protects the kingdom he lives in from harm and goes on all kinds of adventures with his mentor and friends.

Raph rolls his eyes and grumbles "Books. Yay." But Donnie gives me a thumbs up, and by the way Leo flips through the 7th book in the series, I know I did good. Leo stands up and gives me a hug.

"Thanks Mikey!"

"You're welcome, bro."

**Ranger's Apprentice is a real book series. There are 12 books and I love them Halt is my favorite character, and Tug. And Will of course! I think Leo would like it a lot too because there is a lot of strategy and unseen movement stuff and other elements I think he would get a kick out of. I suggest you try it, they're amazing!**

**Bye! -Katana**


	7. Chapter 7 - Leonardo

**Chapter 7. Do I really have to say anything else?**

Chapter 7 - Leonardo

I head to my bedroom for some quiet, open the first book Mikey had gotten me, and immediatly get sucked into the world of the Rangers. My brothers and Sensei drop in to check on me from time to time, but for the most part, they leave me alone to battle desert bandits alongside Will.

At one point I must have fallen asleep because one moment I'm reading about the race against Sandstorm, the next, Raph is telling me to wake up.

"Leo, wake up. April's here." He hisses. That woke me up.

"Already? She brought clothes?" Clock check. It had only been a few hours.

"Yep." Raph tosses a couple of bags in my general direction. "Get dressed." He turns and leaves.

I sort through the bags of clothes, marveling at how much April got in so little time. Some shirts make me wince, but the others seem satisfactory. April did good. She got me plenty of jeans, new underwear (which I am _very_ thankful for), a few jackets, socks, a couple of tank tops and exercise shorts for me to train in, and even a pair of shoes. I consider a plaid shirt, but I don't know if I can do the buttons. Eventually I settle for some dark blue jeans, a blue t-shirt, and a black jacket. I slip on some socks and the blue and black Nikes. They're a bit big, but will do for now.

I walk back to the main room, breaking in the new shoes and getting used to the feel of shoes, period. My brothers voices are soft and a bit off beat. I hear April, her voice a little hestitant. I mentally smack myself. Duh! She was super angry with us. The last time she saw us, she said she never wanted to see our faces again. Of course this would be awkward.

I round a final corner and see them standing near the entrance. They all have awkward expressions on their faces, but Donnie's barely concealing a grin, Mikey's bouncing on the balls of his feet, and even Raph, with an uninterested look on his face, has joined in the conversation.

I stand on the threshold, waiting to see how long it takes for them to notice me. After 30 seconds, they're still oblivious, so I give a low cough. They whirl around. April's jaw drops. She tries to hide it, but fails miserable. I smile and half-wave.

"Hi April. Nice to see you again. Thanks so much for the clothes."

"You're welcome." She says faintly. "Wow, Donnie wasn't -"

"Lying?" I finish, raising an eyebrow. She has the dignity to blush.

"No, this is real." I continue.

"Oh, speaking of which, Leo if you're up for it, I need a blood sample." Donnie says, gesturing to his equipment lying on a bench.

"All right." I don't like needles very much, but if it's necessary, I'll do it.

Donnie swabs his needle and my arm with alcohol and prickes me. I can't help it. I let out a gasp. The needle hurt more than usual. My skin must have been tougher as a turtle.

"Are you ok, Leo? Did he hurt you?" Mikey's watching protectively. He's deathly afraid of needles.

I try to smile comfortingly as Donnie draws the blood he needs. "I'm okay Mikey, it just hurt more than I expected it to."

"Okay, I'm done." Donnie says, removing the needle and slapping a band-aid on my wound. "Just let me put this in my fridge." He corks the vial of my blood and walks into his lab with Mikey on his tail. Raph plops down across the room and starts reading a comic book, now genuinely uninterested. April sits down next to me as I rub my arm.

"So you're human now? Permanently or just temperarly?" She asks.

I shrug. "Not sure. I don't know if Donnie can turn me back and even if he could, I don't know..." I trail off, not sure how to express how I feel, if I mean it, or if I should tell April.

"You're not sure if you would take it." She suggests gently.

"Yeah. I mean, I kinda miss being a turtle because it's what I was, and it's what my brothers are, but there's a lot I want to do. I want to be able to walk around New York in the day. I want to see Japan and be a normal teenager. I was cool with being a turtle because I knew there was no changing that, but now, I can be normal. I could even - " I cut myself off, not believing what I almost said and that I almost said it. April gives me a strange look.

"Nothing." I say quickly. I turn away so she can't see the lie in my eyes.

"Okay..." she says in a weird voice. I can tell she doesn't believe me, but is choosing not to comment.

"I'm sorry, you don't need to hear my troubles." I apologize to her.

"It's okay, I don't mind." She smiles at me, and when I don't respond, she gets up to join Donnie in the lab. I smile back, then allow it to slide of my face when she walks away. I place my head in my hands and think of the sentence I didn't finish. I could even be with Karai.

**Yeah, if you've read any of my other stories, you know I'm a Leorai shipper. So, well, yeah.**

**If you have an idea for something Leo to go through, tell me and I'll do my best to incorporate it as long as it's appropriate.**

**Review please!**

**Peace out! -Katana**


	8. Chapter 8 - April

**Okay, this is just a quick little chapter, yet an important one. This is also the last one I'll be able to just tweak before posting, the rest will need some heavy editing. So here you go.**

Chapter 8 - April

When Leo doesn't say anything, I take that as my cue to leave. I walk into Donnie's lab and see Donnie hunched over his microscope and Mikey asking pointless questions. Donnie's answering them, but I can tell he's growing more and more irritated. I smile, familiar with this practice among the brothers.

"Whatcha doin'?" I ask in a singy-song voice as I approach Donnie. He looks up and blushes. "Well I was going to freeze the blood, but I was curious on how the mutagen blah blah blah..." he rattles on, but I was lost after mutagen. Mikey looks clueless too. I wink at him and he grins.

I'm still a bit uneasy around the guys, but they act like nothing happened, so it's quickly fading. I regret yelling at them, but I was mad. I mean, they had mutated my father! A bit of the anger comes back, and I quickly squash it. It's okay. I remind myself. It was an accident, they feel really bad about it, I'm coping, and Donnie is working on a cure as fast as he can.

And he has promising results. I mean, look at Leo. He's human and seems absolutly fine.

Leo. Man, he looks so different, yet so the same. It's strange. Poor Leo, he wants to be a normal teen and now that he finally has a chance to be one, he's not sure how. I think about that for a while and wonder how I can help him. What do normal teenagers do? I'm not exactly a normal teen anymore. I ask Donnie for a piece of paper, and he mutters something, gesturing to a stack on his desk. Oops. I grab a sheet and start listing things. One word jumps out at me when I'm done.

_School_. School? Could I do that? Could I get Leo into school? Would he even want to go even if I could? I think about for a long time and decide to try. But Leo'll need records.

"Donnie?"

**Review if you please. Any ideas for something for Leo to go through, PM or tell me through reviews and I'll try to work it in.**

**Have a great day/night!**

**-Katana**


	9. Chapter 9 - Donatello

**Hi! Well, um . . . I've got nothing. Enjoy the chapter, and thank you for reviewing!**

Chapter 9 - Donatello

"Donnie?" I hear April call from her corner of the lab. Oops. I've been ignoring her.

"Yeah?" I stand up and walk to my desk where she's been working.

"Do you think you could create fake records for someone?" She asks, looking down at the sheet of paper she's been writing on.

"Yeah, sure, why?" I answer, puzzled. I look down at what she's written. Shots, records, birth certificate, money... the list goes on and on, almost as if she's writing the things needed to..."Go to school?!" I say incrediously. "Leo?!"

She smiles, a bit embarrassed. "Well yeah. He seems kinda down, and he said he wanted to be normal while he could, and normal teenagers go to school."

"He said he wanted to go to school?" I'm skeptical. That sounds like something I would say.

"Well, no. But he did say he wanted to be normal, and school is part of it. These are the last two weeks of summer and I figured we could get him enrolled when school is back in session." April outlines her plan and I somehow end up nodding along. Her plan is really thought out, and I'm pretty sure I can do everything she asks me to.

"Okay, but two things. One, Splinter. We'll have to get his approval. He might want to keep Leo at home. Two, Leo himself. If he doesn't want to go, we can't make him."

"You can talk to them though. I'm sure Splinter will say yes." She gives me a pleading look. "Please?"

I sigh. As usual, she has me wrapped around her finger. "All right." I say on surrender. "I'll talk to them tonight."

She beams and gives me a hug. "Thanks Donnie." My face burns red and I clumsily return it.

April's phone beeps. She takes it out and looks at the screen. "Oh I gotta head home. See you tomorrow?" She asks.

"Sure." I wave and she walks out of the room.

* * *

I hesitate outside the door to the dojo. I try to plan what I want to say, then throw it all away. I can never predict what Master Splinter will say, and if I try to stick to what I've already decided, I'll just get tounge-tied.

I lift my hand to knock, but before I can, I hear "Come in Donatello." Shaking my head, still not knowing how he knew it was me, I walk in. Master Splinter is sitting on the floor in his meditative position. "What troubles you my son?"

"Nothing's troubling me, it's just April. I mean, it's Leo. I mean it's April and Leo. I mean-" See? Tounge-tied.

Master Splinter raises an eyebrow. I take a deep breath and start to clarify.

"April had an idea about Leo. She thinks Leo should go to school."

This gets both eyebrows raised. "Really? Do you think we can do this?"

I think, then nod. "Yes Sensei. I'm sure I can create reasonably believable records." I pause, then - "Will you let him?"

Master Splinter thinks, then nods. "If Leonardo wishes to learn at school, I will let him." He notices the expression on my face and gives me a quizzical look.

"Well, I haven't asked him if he wants to yet." I stammer.

"You must ask him before we decide his future."

"Hai Sensei. I will." I bow then walk out of the room.

* * *

I open my eyes. Something had woke me. I listen, but I hear nothing. But I know I heard something. I slip out of bed and walk down the halls, looking for whatever could have woke me. And in the dojo, I find it. Leo is sitting against the wall with his head on his knees and his arms around his legs. His swords are on the other side of the room, lying hazardously as if they had been thrown.

"L-Leo?" I ask hesitantly.

He looks up. His face is flushed and red rims his eyes. "Donnie!' He sounds surprised and embarrassed.

"Are you all right?" I ask gently. Leo sniffs and wipes his face with his sleeve. "Fine." He chokes out.

I walk over and sit down next to him. He's obviously NOT fine. "Don't lie to me."

"Donnie, it's nothing." He insists. I look at him until he sighs and says, "I just tried to do some of my katas and - and-"

Understanding dawns on me. "And you struggled."

Leo nods. "Yeah. It's stupid, nothing to... cry...or get frustrated about, but..." He mumbles something else under his breath I can't quite hear, something that seems to upset him a bit more.

"It's okay." I put my arm around him. "You're just not as strong and built different then you were. There's going to be some difficulty adjusting. You'll get it, I promise."

He nods again. He looks up at me, and my brother is back. "Don't you dare tell Raph or Mikey about this."

I laugh. "What kind of person do you think I am?"

He smiles. "Um, Donnie?"

"Yeah?"

"Any reason I got so . . . upset . . . over nothing?"

I think for moment, then smile as I think I figure out the answer. "Hormones." I tell him.

He cocks his head. "Come again?"

"Hormones are chemicals your body produces to make it do certain functions or cause emotion. As a turtle, you've had them, but human bodies produce a ton more, making you more susceptible of giving in to emotion, and your emotions a lot stronger."

"Great." He mutters sarcastically.

I remember what I was going to ask him. "Actually, Leo, I've got something to ask you."

"What?"

"Well, April had this idea. She thinks you should go to school."

Whatever he was expecting, it wasn't that. "School?" He looks shocked. And excited.

"Yeah, school. I talked to Splinter and he said that he thinks it's a good idea, but you don't have to go if you don't want to."

Leo ponders this for a few minutes. I wait patiently, knowing this is a huge desicion for him.

"Yes." He says eventually.

"You want to go?"

"Yes." He repeats. "I want to go to school."

**So Leo's going to school! Yay!**

**Again, anything you want Leo to have to deal with, tell me and I'll work it in! Remember, I'm rewriting before I post, so I can change stuff around. Nothing's set in stone.**

**Review please! Bye! **


	10. Chapter 10 - Raphael

**Um . . . I got nothing. Enjoy!**

Chapter 10 - Raphael

"You WHAT?!" I blurt out.

"You heard me. In two weeks, I'm going to school." Leo repeats.

I'm blown away. If this was Donnie it'd be expected, but LEO? Completely out of character.

"One thing. Why?" I have to ask.

Leo looks uncomfortable. "I just need to." He says brashly. I tilt my head questioningly, but he refuses to elaborate.

"Fine. Whatever."

* * *

I don't see much of Leo over the next two weeks. He's always either training with Splinter in the dojo (I hear many exasperated hisses and sighs, and Master Splinter's voice encouraging him to try again), working with Donnie on his new identity ("Now remember Leo. If anyone asks you about your parents or any siblings, tell them your parents are in the middle of a divorce. That should keep everyone off your tail and cover for any slips of the tongue."), or with April talking about high school ("So when the bell rings at the end of class - "You go to your next period.").

Donnie and April work their magic and manage to draw up fake records for Leo. Birth certificate, medical forms, official transcripts, records from homeschooling, notes from Leo's "parents" and "guardians", so on and so forth. As far as anyone at Roosevelt High School is concerned, Leo actually exists and is coming there to learn.

* * *

The day before Leo's supposed to go to school, April shows up with 2 bags full of stuff. She drops them in front of Leo, who's watching Space Heroes.

"What's all this?" Leo asks April.

"School supplies. Just got everything today." She explains.

I look up from my comic book as Leo pulls out binders, notebooks, pencils, even a blue and silver backpack.

"Is all this really necessary?" He asks, lifting an eyebrow at the sheer amount of stuff.

"Yes it is. Now I want you in bed by 10 tonight. I'll pick you up at 8. School starts at 8:45, by the way." The look on April's face is absolutely no nonsense, dead set. Leo nods very quickly with a look of slight fear on his face. My brother might be crazy enough to fight the Foot and the Kraang, but he knows better then to argue with April O'Neil.

"Yes ma'am."

April nods then turns to leave. "8 o'clock." She calls over her shoulder.

"8 o'clock." Leo repeats.

* * *

7:30 am

* * *

Man, Leo still isn't up. For the first time in his life he forgot to set his alarm. So I take it upon myself to wake him. I walk into his room and spot him dead to the world, tangled up in his covers, dressed in a tank top and loose shorts April got him. I smirk. Too easy. I stroll up to his bed and uncerimoniusly push him off.

"Wha-ahhh!" _Thump_. "Uhhhnnnn..." A groan floats up from the floor.

"Dude, wake up. It's already 7:30 and April's coming at 8."

Leo's head pops up. "What?" His body follows his head as he bolts to the closet and searches for something suitable. He picks the same thing he wore that first day (blue shirt, black jacket, dark jeans) and scowls at me. "Clear out." He says irritated.

I leave, then go to wake Mikey in the same fashion.

"Ow, what was that for?" Mikey complains, rubbing his head.

"Go make breakfast. Leo'll need it and neither of us can cook."

"Fine." Mikey grumbles and trudges to the kitchen.

I watch in amusement as Leo wolfs down a quick breakfast, runs to the bathroom to brush his teeth and hair (hairbrush a gift from April), and searches for the backpack full of school stuff that he somehow managed to misplace.

7:55 and Leo is finally ready. Master Splinter comes out and tells him to be careful, learn, not to attract attention, all that stuff. I zone out, but Leo, being the guy he is, drinks it up. April shows up at 8 on the dot.

"You ready?" She asks, holding her backpack on one shoulder. Leo does the same.

"As I'll ever be." He takes a deep breath, turns and waves goodbye, a strained smile on his face. "See ya guys."

Mikey runs up and gives him a hug, which Leo awkwardly returns. He gives one last smile and takes one last look around, then follows April out of the sewers.

**Please review! Have a good one!**


	11. Chapter 11 - Leonardo

**Hi! So, the start of Leo's first day at school. Um . . . I got nothing. Please enjoy.**

Chapter 11 - Leonardo

I'm unusually quiet as April leads the way to her, I mean, _our _school. I know I had agreed to do this, even looked forward to it, but now, I feel really anxious. What if I make a fool of myself? What if I let something slip? What if... The list goes on and on. I start taking deep meditative breaths to keep myself calm.

April looks back at me, concerned. "You okay Leo?"

"Yeah, just a little nervous."

"It'll be okay Leo. Relax and enjoy the sunshine."

I slow my steps, half close my eyes, and concentrate on the warm beams of light on my face. Even though I have been human for over two weeks, I had not ventured out of the sewers in day before now. Such concepts like sunshine are completely foreign to me.

April's right. The sunshine feels good. I feel my worries slip away and my heartbeat slow.

"Thanks April."

She smiles kindly at me. "No problem Leo." The rest of the walk is in silence. It's not awkward or sticky, just quiet and peaceful. I could easily spend the rest of the day like this. But all too soon, we arrive in front of a drab two-story brown brick building. I take a second to take it in before accompanying April inside.

A blast of warm air and the babbling of many voices hits me. Although it's only (I check the nearest clock) 8:20, there's already a lot of people here. April grabs my wrist and drags me into the lobby. She marches up to the reception desk and I follow a little ways behind. An older lady looks up from behind the front desk.

"Hi Ms. Holly. My cousin Leo here is a new student and we're here to pick up his schedule."

"Well, nice to meet you Leo." I blush and shyly shake the elderly womans hand. Before now, no human has so openly talked to me.

"So what's your full name, dear?"

"Leonardo O'Neil, ma'am."

She shuffles through some papers on her desk, then hands one to me.

"Here you are sweetie. Your class schedule and your locker information. Have a nice first day!"

April leads me out into another hallway and reads over my shoulder while I scan the information.

* * *

Leonardo O'Neil

Grade: 10th. Locker #: 68. Combination: XX-XX-XX

Student ID: 1837134845

First Period: Principles Of Science 2 - Ms. Austin

Second Period: English 2 -Mrs. Fisher

Third Period: Algebra 1 -Mr. Brown

Fourth Period: Lunch

Fifth Period: Spanish 1 -Mrs. Valdez

Sixth Period: U.S. History -Mr. Stewart

Seventh Period: P.E. -Coach Jones

* * *

April leans over my shoulder and scans the sheet.

"Good, we've got 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 6th together."

* * *

April then takes me on a tour of the school. She shows me the cafeteria, the gym, the library (I make a mental note to look for science books for Donnie), my locker, and all my classes. It takes pretty long time. We end the tour at 8:42 outside my first period.

"Okay, you know where 2nd period is, right?" She questions me. I hide a smile and resist the temptation to roll my eyes.

"Yes. Down the hall, to the right, room 125."

"Okay. Be good."

This time I can't stop it. I flash a playful smile and ask her "When am I not?" She rolls her eyes jokingly then walks to her first class.

I walk into the room and look around for an empty seat. The desks are arranged in rows with two to a table. One of the things about being late-ish, there's only one seat left. Saves me a lot of trouble. I look at the girl at the table and my heart stops. My breath gets caught in my throat and I freeze.

It's HER.


End file.
